The Value of the Past
by Fififjonka
Summary: Sesshomaru made his father very angry and he regrets it, although he doesn't understand what he did so wrong. It was just a human woman, wasn't it? OneShot.


**The Value of the Past**

"Wretched woman. Not even your life would be a price high enough for breaking the vase of my father's ancestors."

The demon prince was standing above an older woman, that was kneeling next to broken pieces of a beautiful white vase.

"Do you have any idea how old that vase was?" the young demon asked, his voice dripping with contempt. "It was worth of all of your possession, you damn human."

She was shivering, with tears in her eyes, begging for forgiveness.

"Please, master Sesshomaru. Please... I'm sorry... I apologize..."

"I shall have you punished for this," Sesshomaru said, mercilessly. "You and your family are banished from this palace forever. I don't want to see you here ever again."

"No!" she cried out with despair. "Please, I have two children and we have nowhere to go!"

"That's no concern of mine," Sesshomaru said coolly, walking away, paying no attention to the woman's cry.

"Sesshomaru!"

Sesshomaru turned, noticing his father standing close to the crying woman. He was angry and his eyes narrowed.

"Come with me," he said, his voice stern. Sesshomaru obeyed, as he always did. They walked outside, straight to the gardens where nobody could hear them. His father stayed with his back to him. Although Sesshomaru couldn't see his face, he could say just by his voice how much angry he was about it.

"Explain to me, my son, why did you do that to the woman?" he asked silently.

"She broke the vase that used to be your father's," Sesshomaru said, hoping his father would understand.

"A vase? Is that what you value more than a life?"

"She's only a human," Sesshomaru objected. "She has no value."

His father remained quiet but Sesshomaru could feel the wave of tension coming from him. Suddenly he didn't feel well. He couldn't stand his father being disappointed or angry with him. But this time, he couldn't see what he'd done so wrong.

"Your words are cruel and heartless," his father said, his voice bearing deep disappointment.

"What makes you think that way..."

"I'm stronger than her," Sesshomaru said. "Our kind is stronger than their. We have the right to treat them as we decide."

His father shook his head, clenching his fist.

"You are way too arrogant and selfish, which makes you weak," he said. "I'll make sure the woman stays. And from now on you have no authority to banish any of my servants from this palace. Now go."

Sesshomaru did what he was told, leaving to his room and sitting on his bed. He felt even more angry than before. Why did his father do that? Why did he prefer humans to his own son? He thought he would be glad he'd done that, for the vase was one of the most precious things in the palace, and Sesshomaru did all that just for his father, to pay him respect. But it seemed like he didn't notice that at all.

Sesshomaru stayed motionless and in thoughts for many hours, before he stood up, decided to go and talk to him. Despite how much he disliked apologizing, his inability to stand his father's anger basically made him do it. But he found only his mother in the Main hall. She was sitting on her throne, looking down at him.

"I've heard what you did," she said, smiling lightly. "Very well, my son. You did right. Just as I've been always telling you."

Her son didn't comment on that.

"Where is father?" he asked.

"You want to know?"

His mother was looking at him with mocking eyes.

"He said he would lead my training today," Sesshomaru said. His mother only smirked.

"Well, he obviously forgot about you. A woman came here today and wanted his help with some robbers in her village. Don't ask me why he went to deal with it personally."

She shook her head.

"Those humans... I fail to see why he is so eager to help them every time... It's in their nature to be weak. And it's not right for creatures stronger than them - such as we are - to protect them. It's against the natural order... What is weak is ruled over by the strong. You are much younger and you understand that well. It appears like your father just cannot do that..."

She fell silent, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, don't look at me like that. You seem so hurt."

The mockery in her voice was evident. Sesshomaru's face changed back into the cold, impassive mask. He left her, going to find himself a different training partner. But to add to his frustration, he was so unfocused he let the demon win over him.

Sesshomaru sought privacy that evening. It could never be visible, but the young demon prince carried sadness with him. He wanted to speak to his father desperately that day, but he was gone. Even the greatest dog demon of their age, the mighty Inu-no-Taisho, couldn't grasp the simple fact his son was doing all those things just to impress him and show him he would one day make a good ruler, just like his father.

And as Inu-no-Taisho didn't see that, his young son would never admit that to himself either.

Sesshomaru chose a secluded fountain that evening. He sat down on the edge, listening to the water. His shoulder hurt from the fight he had a few hours ago, and the pain was like a constant reminder of his shameful defeat. And his own father called him weak that day. In his own father's eyes he was weak.

But he was doing all he could, ever since he could remember, just to prove the opposite. So all his effort was a waste of time, apparently. His father saw him as a weak one. He preferred humans to him.

And his mother would only mock him for showing any kind of emotion about that.

Sesshomaru shook his head, closing his eyes, overwhelmed with things he didn't understand. He couldn't decide whether he felt angry or sad or lonely.

_"My dear little child..."_

Sesshomaru raised his head, turning around. It was a woman's voice, not far away, coming from the winter garden. And she was singing.

_"My dear little child..."_

The voice wasn't approaching, so it seemed she was at once place.

_"Sleep now... I'll take you where the deer are plentiful..."_

Sesshomaru wanted to get up and scold her for breaking his privacy, but he found himself listening to her words with curiosity and liking.

_"I'll take you where the eagles fly... I'll take you underneath the rainbow sky..."_

She stopped and Sesshomaru caught himself wanting the song to continue. Like if she could hear his wish, she started playing the song again with her flute. The melody was light and gentle. But then it was over and he heard her steps going away from him.

"Do you remember that song, my son?"

Inu-no-Taisho approached him silently. Sesshomaru gave him a look.

"Should I?"

"Her mother used to play it to you when you were little. It's their family's song."

"It was the same woman that broke the vase," Sesshomaru said and his father nodded. Sesshomaru looked away. If that stupid woman didn't break the vase, none of this would ever happen.

"I want you to see, my son, what's really valuable and what's not. The vase is nothing. It's just a piece of porcelain. What does it do? It's good for nothing. It's a reminder of past, yes, but past is not what matters. Presence and future do."

His father's face came out of the shadows.

"The song, on the other hand, is far more precious. They pass it from generation on generation. All mothers in the family sang it to their children. With love and care and affection. And many women in future will sing it to their children again. Just like her mother sang it and played it to you. Because she loved you. She... was in fact your nursemaid."

Sesshomaru widened his eyes. So his father allowed a human woman to care for him?

"But they're weak!"

Inu-no-Taisho frowned.

"It's your mother behind these words, I can tell."

He sighed then.

"I trust in you, my son," he said. "One day, your heart will understand, just like mine. It can take some time, but I know there's my blood in your veins. And the blood comes from my heart, a heart able to change..."

His father dropped the subject then. He raised a hand, resting it upon Sesshomaru's shoulder.

"You are my child," he said. "No matter how old you'll get, you'll remain a child to me..."

With that words he leaned forward, kissing Sesshomaru on his forehead. And the young demon didn't hurry to get out of the embrace. They stayed still like that, with the full moon shining into the winter garden, with a distant glimmer of the song still flowing above them.

* * *

_That's it, hope you liked. I think I wanted to show how Sesshomaru's character was developing during his childhood. His age here is somewhere between 13-15. Read, review and enjoy!_

_**Note:** The used song is a native american song I found somewhere and liked:)_


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